Synchronized and equalized opposed hammer press



Aug. 28, 1962 J. J. KUPKA 3,050,809

SYNCHRONIZED AND EQUALIZED OPPOSED HAMMER PRESS Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l -i- Z7 i /4 20 J0 a/ 26 fly a -"4o I f I I J! M g /f 1 INVENTOR. JOHN J. KUPKA 60 I "M 1 4 4 0 E I A TTORNE Y Aug. 28, 1962 J. J. KUPKA 3,

SYNCHRONIZED AND EQUALIZED OPPOSED HAMMER PRESS Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I M 1 11:15. if

I 1 5? J6 L 1/ 30 z; 40 75 {0 K {I 7' 70 l: Z7 "j 29 40 If I; l a4 l .77 I J8 INVENTOR.

'JOHN J. KUPKA TTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962 J. J. KUPKA 3,050,899

SYNCHRONIZED AND EQUALIZED OPPOSED HAMMER PRESS Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 if if INVENTOR. JOHN J. KUPKA TTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962 SYNCHRONIZED AND EQUALIZED OPPOSED HAMMER PRESS Filed Dec. 8, 1960 J. J. KUPKA 3,050,809

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ticl J7 INVENT JOHN J. KUP

BY M TTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,050,809 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 3,050,809 SYNHRONIZED AND EQUALIZED PPOED HAMMER PRESS John J. Kupka, Gladstone, N.J., assignor to McKiernan- Terry Corporation, Harrison, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 74,580 2 Claims. (Cl. 25-91) The invention herein disclosed relates to heavy duty presses in which material for refractory brick and the like is compacted during application of the molding pressure by upper and lower oppositely acting power hammers.

Objects of the present invention are to automatically efiect synchronization of the upper and lower hammers so as to confine or contain the full energy of the two hammers in the mold box and to equalize the applied energy of the two oppositely acting hammers.

These highly desirable results have been accomplished by cross connecting the supply and exhaust control systems of the two hammers so that they will necessarily operate in timed relation and by providing a booster for the lower hammer arranged to ofiset the gravity advantage of the upper hammer. I

Other advantages and novel features present in the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a front elevation of a press incorporating the invention, showing it in the open, mold filled condition, with the upper platen raised and showing the mold box and upper power hammer broken and in section, and with the ram of the upper hammer in lowered position resting on its anvil plate.

FIG. 2 is a broken side elevation of the press with the parts in the same position, with the lower platen raised closing the lower end of the mold box and the upper platen elevated clear of the mold box.

FIG. 3 is a broken vertical sectional view on substantially the center line of the press showing parts at substantially the completion of the compacting and molding cycle, but with the ram of the upper hammer raised and the ram of the lower hammer lowered prior to completing their finishing strokes' FIG. 4 is a broken sectional view on a larger scale taken on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the lower power hammer with its added energy equalizing cylinder and piston and with the ram supported by this accessory in the upper starting position in engagement vw'th its anvil plate.

FIG. 5 is a broken sectional view on a further enlarged scale on substantially the plane of line 55 of FIG. 1 with the upper ram in the raised position and showing the pilot valve for governing operation of this ram.

KG. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional detail of the pilot valve for the upper ram showing the cross connections which extend from the top and bottom of this control valve to the opposite ends of the pilot valve on the lower power hammer and by which the two hammers are automatically synchronized.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view substantially at right angle to that of FIG. 6 with parts appearing as on substantially the plane of line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a broken sectional detail of one of the ball valves actuated by the ram, showing the ball protruding into the cylinder and the valve open in the absence of the ram, as is the lower ball valve shown in FIG. 5.

The press illustrated consists basically of an open mold box 10 supported on columns 11, upper and lower platens 12, 13 guided on those columns and actuated by pistons operating in the pairs of upper and lower hydraulic cylinders 14, 15, having piston rods 16, 17 connected with these platens.

Upper and lower dies 18, 19 for closing the top and bottom of the mold box are carried by the upper and lower platens.

A special feature of these mold closing dies is that they are carried by anvil plates 20, 21 loosely connected with the platens and arranged to be struck by the rams of upper and lower power hammers mounted on the platens.

These loose connections enable the hammers to impart compaction to the molded material without'being impeded by the hydraulics and the hydraulics to follow up the gains in compaction eifected by the hammer blows.

Specifically these are shown as lost motion connections, with the anvil plates guided at opposite ends by dependent flanges 22 on the platens and retained at the front and the back by guiding and retaining strips 23 bolted to the end flanges at 24 and having retaining shoulders 25 in back of companion shoulders 26 on the anvil plates, these meetings shoulders spaced or located to leave the desired amount of lost motion between the anvil plates andthe platens in backof them as illustrated at 27 in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The top and bottom air hammers are mounted on the upper and lower platens between the hydraulic cylinders on those, in position with their rams arranged to strike the anvil plates carried by these platens.

The upper ram 28 in cylinder 29 operates through an opening 30 in the top platen, F188. 1, 3 and 5, on a projection 31 of the upper anvil plate 26 and similarly the lower ram 52, FIG. 4, in cylinder 33 operates through opening 34 in the lower platen 13 against a boss projection 35 ofthe lower anvil plate 21.

Different forms of power hammers may be employed but double acting fluid valve hammers of the type illustrated may be preferred because automatic synchronization may be effected by providing reverse or cross connections between the pilot valves controlling operation of these hammers.

Control valves on these hammers, as illustrated particularly in FlGS. 5 and 6, have consisted of a valve chest 36 containing a spool valve 37 operated by a piston 38 to govern admission and exhaust of actuating fluid to opposite sides of the intermediate piston formation 39 of the ram. I

The difierential pressure required to operate these valves is acquired through actuation of the ball valves 40 at opposite ends of the hammer cylinders and which,

as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, include in each case a ball 41 protruding in the cylinder into the path of the ram, into an open position and arranged to be forced back by the ram into a closed position thus to open or close communication between the end of the cylinderahead of the ram and passages 42 communicating the cylinder with the diiierential piston elements 43, 44 on the opposite ends of the spool valve.

Synchronized or substantially simultaneous operation of the power hammers in opposite directions so as to balance or equalize the opposed forces is effected by connecting the corresponding pressure ends of the two pilot valve will be duplicated at the other pilot valve and the two hammers thus be coupled to act in unison.

In the illustration this accomplished by opening the opposed valve chest end chambers 45, 46 through the end plates 47, 48 at 49, 50 and through the confined cushioning washers 51, 52 M53, 54 toconnecting tubing 55, 56, with the connection 55 from the top of the upper pilot valve running to the bottom of thelower pilot valve and connection 56 from the bottom of the upper pilot valve running to the top of the lower pilot valve.

Thus connected and arranged, upper and lower hammers are bound together and obliged to conform one to the other, with downward strokes of the upper hammer in time with upward strokes of the lower hammer.

With the hammers operating in unison, equal and opposite forces will cancel each other and confine all compacting energy within the mold box. This insures maximum efiiciency and smooth action, free of'undesirable vibration and shock. To counteract the advantage, due to gravity, of the upper hammer over the lower, special means are provided, in the form here shown, of an auxiliary power cylinder containing a constant lifting force designed to counterbalance the gravity effect of the upper power hammer.

This auxiliary power cylinder is designated 57 and is shown secured in dependent relation at the lower end of the bottom power hammer 33, containing a hollow piston sleeve 58 having a piston head 59 at the top engaging the lower end of the lower ram 32.

This auxiliary, booster cylinder is supplied with air, steam or other fluid medium under sufiicient pressure to isupport the lower ram and to counterbalance downward spring to support the lower ram and; to constitute that' ram as efiective in striking and compacting power as the ram of the upper hammer.

Also when the press is shut down the auxiliary piston will support the lower ram in the upper position shown in FIG. 4 engaged with its anvil, similar to engagement of the upper ram with its anvil as in FIG. 1 so that both hammers will start in the same relation and continue in synchronized operation.

Suitable controls for starting the hammers as the mold is closed and for stopping the hammers when the molding cycle is completed are provided.

These may consist generally of limit switches operated by the platens in the mold closing and opening movements.

By timing the hammers to balance the impact of one against the other, with follow up of the compaction strokes by mold closing pressure of the platens, the material in the mold is quickly consolidated to a uniformly dense mass and this hasenabled the manufacture of heavier and larger products free of voids and lamination and at a much faster rate than has heretofore been possible.

The equalization of energy applied by both upper'and lower hammers assures this greater uniformity of product and by the reduction of stress in the machine enables the machine for this heavy work to, be made of lighter and smaller parts.

While particularly suited to the manufacture of fire brick, tile and the like, it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of and applicable to many other uses, such as the molding of metal powders, metals, concrete, plastics and the like.

It will further be understood that changes may be made to suit such uses, within the intent and scope of the invention, such as the substitution of diflerent kinds of power hammers and diiierent kinds of controls for the same.

Thus, for example,'power"hammers with mechanical controls maybe used in place of those with difierential pressure controls such as illustrated, in which event mechanical connections would be provided for timing or synchronizing the opposed hammers.

While for complete counterbalancing ofopposing forces it may generally be desirable to, maintain simultaneous operation of the two hammers, it is contemplated thatior some purposes it may be desirable to offset these hammers out of exact step and the timer may be arranged to eilect such results, in the example shown,.for instance by impart ing a slight lag to the operation of either'the upper or lower hammer control valve, depending on which hammer is selected to follow the action'of the other. Thus to offset the acceleration advantage of the upper hammer the lower hammer may be 'starteda step'in advance of the upper hammer.

V The hydraulics and the hammers supplement each other,

the hydraulics exerting a constant molding pressure which is augmented by the hammer blows with the result of these impacts being constantly taken up by the constant pressure on the patterns and the opposing forces applied to the mold being constantly equalized by the timing of the hammers. and by the added, equalizing force acting on the-lower,

otherwise less effective hammer of the two. 7

To avoid any possibility of pressure leak between the booster cylinder and the lower ram cylinder a special packa ing seal 61, FIG. 4, is interposed at the junction between these two cylinder-s.

To assure free operation of the pressurelaugmenting or ram supporting piston sleeve, the latter is shown in FIG. 4,

as operating in an elongated bearing sleeve'62. For lubrication purposes this may be a porous bronze member, surrounded by awell 63 for lubricating oil which may be introduced as necessary through a side opening 64.

In the construction disclosed the timing and equalizing of hammer operation are eifective at all speeds 'of action so that the press may be speeded up or slowed down, for 7 example to suit operations on difierent materials, without losing the benefits of the invention.

'What is claimed is: I

1. An opposed dual hammer press in which the mold closing pressure of opposed press platens is augmented by hammer blows of opposed reciprocating power hammers and the opposing impacts of the hammers on the material being molded are synchronized and equalized while the pressis closing, comprising the combination of,

a vertically disposed open ended mold box,

vertically operating upper and lower press platens cooperating with the upper and lower open ends of said mold box,

anvil plates carried by said platens,

dies for closing the upper and-lower endsof said mold box, p 7

said dies being connected with said anvil plates to transmit the effect of hammer blows on said anvil plates to material confined in the mold box independently of mold closing pressure applied by said platens,

upper and lower power hammers mounted in opposing 1 .relation on saidupper and lower platens and having oppositely acting reciprocating rams disposed to hammer said anvil plates,

means connected with and shittable with the hammer.

on the lower platen for applying aconstant, yielding lifting force to the ram ofthe lower power hammer v independently of the force for reciprocating that ram,

substantially equal in effect to the effective massweight of both lower and upper rams and thereby supporting the lower ram raised in engagement with its anvil at start of operations and augmenting the force applied by the lower ram to substantially equal the force applied by the upper ram;

said power hammers having control devices-similar in: efiect on said hammers,

means connecting said control devices ofsimilar effec and holding the rams of the opposed power hammers synchronized to start with and to continue in synchronized, power equalized striking operation, and

means for applyin continuous mold closing pressure to said platens independently of the hammer blows delivered by said power hammers, whereby to continuously hold and take up compaction of material 5 effected by the synchronized and power equalized blows of the hammers.

2- The invention according to claim 1, in which said means for applying lifting force to the ram of the lower power hammer comprises 10 a booster cylinder on the lower end of said lower power hammer having connection with a source of constant fluid pressure and a piston subjected to the pressure in said booster cylinder and arranged to exert lifting efiort on the ram of 15 said lower power hammer.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Sutclifie Mar. 30, 1920 Stacy June 24, 1930 Irwin Apr. 17, 1934 Ernst et a1 May 9, 1944 Cannon July 11, 1944 Collins May 21, 1946 Watson Nov. 8, 1949 Babcock Feb. 20, 1951 Wilson 'Nov. 4, 1952 Pallier July 24,195 6 McElroy Oct. 27, 1959 Marshall Apr. 25, 1961 

